Kindle

congrats and way to kick butt postop! I did clear broth, tea and Popsicles 1st 3 days. Added drinkable yogurt, protein shakes and cream soups and broth with added unflavored protein powder day 4. I had no gas pains, but found that walking helped the bloated feeling I got everytime I drank or ate. No reason to ever stop walking.

you may have a hard time finding RTD shakes, but there are a ton of non-whey/milk protein powders out there. Just google soy protein, egg protein, hemp protein, vegan protein, etc. I've used Garden of Life Raw Fit and Raw Protein (sprouted seed protein), Jay Robb (egg protein), and Spirutein (soy and pea protein).

Yeah, what's up with that? I'm 11 months out and have had a protein shake everyday since the first week. I couldn't get in all my protein (70-80g) without it

You can get single serving samples of dozens of different powders on Nashua Nutrition. Just search for samples on their website. You can get a sampler kit from Un jury, too. I like a lot of the Muscle Milk, Syntrax Nectar and Syntrax Matrix powders. I lived on Un jury unflavored for the first several months (added it to everything). I also like Premier chocolate and strawberry RTD. I used to use the Premier vanilla as creamer in my coffee. (Now I'm back with regular 1/2 and 1/2). As for the clumps, just add more liquid. Make one larger shake and split it up though the day. I've always doubled whatever liquid they say to mix with the scoop otherwise they are too thick and sweet for me. I even dilute the RTD 1/2 and 1/2 with milk.

It's not intubation we have to worry about (that's just a short tube that goes into your trachea). It's the blind nasogastric tube that's the problem.....If they pass it without a scope, down your esophagus and expecting a full size stomach at the other end.

I chose other because the other choices didn't quite fit. I go to whatever restaurant I want, order whatever looks good, eat till satisfied and take home the leftovers. Sometimes I split a meal with someone who wants to same thing. No different than preop, just much smaller portions (and a lot cheaper!)

Ditto. To both....check out the complications forum and talk to your surgeon. It's also a good idea to have a backup plan in place when you return from Mexico. Someone you can go to with postop concerns, routine followup bloodwork, etc. my PCP agreed to take care of everything postop, but my surgeon's office in Mexico is also available via phone and email when I have questions. In fact, I'm 11 months out and just consulted with them last weekend over a treatment plan I've started for an unrelated medical problem to make sure the medication was OK to take with my sleeve. Check with your doctor and/or local bariatric surgeons before going down to find out what to do or where to go in the event of any complications. It's not something you just want to "wing" if it happens.

Premier, Muscle Milk, Syntrax Nectar, Syntrax Matrix, Raw Fit, Raw Protein, Spirutein, un jury, and Bariatric Advantage. Tried, but didn't like Jay Robb or Isopure, but it's all an individual preference.

How far out are you? Why do you have to stay under 600 calories? I never had calorie limitations or guidelines. I've never really tracked or counted, but I did occasional "spot calorie checks" and was around 1000 calories within 1-2 months post, 1200 calories at 6 months, and am currently maintaining 110% excess weight loss on 1400-1600 calories/day. If you let your body get used to functioning on very low calories, it will be difficult to not gain once you try and eat "normal" in maintenance.

Unfortunately none of the fiber gummies contain insoluble fiber so they wouldn't work for me. And FYI, if you have dogs, keep them well out of reach....many are sweetened with xylitol which is VERY toxic.

I was within 5 pounds of my surgeon's goal (160) at about 6 months out. I don't normally count or track anything, but I did a few "spot calorie checks" and I was around 1200 calories at that point. I started eating more fruit, whole grains and healthy fats to slow my loss. Even with that I dropped to my personal goal of 150 pounds by about 7 1/2 months. I was definitely eating in maintenance mode at that point but still losing. I felt significantly less restriction by 9 months out. I think I have finally bottomed out and have ranged between 137 and 141 for the last 2 months. A couple daily calorie spot checks have me at 1400-1600 calories most days. I eat what I want, when I want, within the basic guidelines of 60+g Protein, 64+ oz Water, Vitamins and limit "white carbs". In the end, I basically just let my body find its new normal. I would have been happy at 160, and thrilled at 150, so eating more wasn't that scary for me. And by not seriously limiting my calories (I was at 1000/day by 2 months out) I kept my metabolism up and didn't force my body to get used to such a low intake. Makes maintenance super easy. So I'd say slowly increase your calories with smart choices and see what happens.

I added unflavored Protein powder to... broccoli cheese soup Strained French onion Cream of asparagus Cream of shrimp Lobster bisque Butternut squash soup Portobello mushroom Swanson's hot and sour soup starter Swanson's tortilla soup starter Strained wonton soup Cream of mushroom Cream of spinach And I pureed split pea soup and bean soup (they have enough protein....didn't add the unflavored protein)

HW 238 SW 216 CW 137 TPL 101 TGP 88 137-141 seems to be my final normal bounce range. ????????

137 today

Just monitor with your regular bloodwork. I take 500 every other day and my levels are spot on. But everyone is different. And it's virtually impossible to take too much B12. It's a water soluble vitamin so you just pee out the extra (makes your pee really yellow)

Those containers are perfect size! I've tried to get my mom to automatically get a to go box when she goes out because she is a hopeless member of the clean plate club. But alas, 70+ years of eating every last bite is a hard habit to break. I'm single so at least part of anything I buy ends up in the freezer. (Do you know how long it would take me to eat a pork loin or loaf of bread or a pound of burger or a batch of Protein pancakes?!?) I was sick of everything ending up with freezer burn, so I bought a food saver vacuum sealer last week. LOVE my new toy. I even got the zip lock bags that you can vacuum and reuse over and over for things you access a lot, like cheese....no more moldy cheese because it takes me two weeks to eat a chunk. But my dogs are sad....They are getting a lot less leftovers.

Luckily my PCP always keeps his patient's best interest a priority. Not only with health, but also financial concerns. He runs a satellite office associated with a nearby hospital (where he is also an ER doc) But he knows how pricey the hospital lab fees are, so he actually sends his patients to an outside "express lab" when possible because they are 1/4 the cost. Love that guy!

Get in all of your protein. Don't stress about the little stuff. Take your vitamins. Lots of people add extra biotin. These things may help, But in the end, I think if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. It depends on how your body deals with the stress of surgery. (physical and mental) I did the first 3 and never had any hairloss. But I was prepared to shave my head and wear hats if I had to.

Is this it? Egg Nog 1 scoop of vanilla HDT 5+1 vanilla 1 cup of soy milk 1 teaspoon of rum extract 1/2 teaspoon of all spice 4-6 large ice cubes Put all ingredients into blender and mix to desired consistency. Serve cold.

I live pretty close to Yellowstone so I'll be ash before I'd have time to open my first Protein bar. And for any other disaster, I've got plenty of ammo. Open season on whatever looks tasty. And for any EMT's that I don't eat, I do have a medical necklace that reads "Gastrectomy patient - No NSAIDS - No blind NGT / C. diff risk - No antibiotics". One of my EMT friends suggested the gastrectomy part because none of them will know what VSG is.

Agreed! I, too, had surgery so I could finally eat like a normal person. I did this so I WOULDNT have to diet ever again. In 11 months, I've not counted calories or weighed my food. My sleeve does it's part by limiting my portions and I do my part by making healthy choices....90% of the time. I stock my cupboards and refrigerator with healthy protein-heavy food options. I drink at least 64oz Water and eat 70-80g of Protein everyday. I snack on nuts, Jerky, fruits and veggies. But when I go out with friends I eat whatever looks good...just like everyone else. I had pizza last week (two pieces, not the whole thing). I Went to a fundraiser last Saturday and had 3 Crown and water cocktails. Then the 5 other people I went with wanted to stop at McD's on the way home (drunk people do that ???? ). I split a quarter pounder with another gal (who, BTW, had bypass 8 years ago). No fries. No soda. BIG change from preop. I did, however, follow my doctor's plan 100% to a T before and after surgery. I was too afraid of complications not to. And I didn't start eating like a "normal" person until I reached goal about 7 months out. (And I've maintained for 4 months at this point). At your stage, you have to make smart choices and change your relationship with food (I'm now friends with food....no longer codependent with it). While you are still healing and so fresh out of surgery, you need to follow the rules, establish new habits to deal with stress, and learn how to deal with head hunger. You have the rest of your life to be "normal"...after you've done what you need to do to reach goal.

Aw, geez, thanks. I'm a fan of your posts, too. Lots of times I don't even have to respond because your replies echo what I would say. All I've gotta do is "like" yours and move on!

I live in the boonies, so I order everything online. You can get muscle Milk directly from the company online store https://estore.cytosport.com/brand/muscle-milk-r . Other places I've order my supplements from are Amazon, Nashua Nutrition and the Vitamin Shoppe. Free shipping on some of those.

1st, stop weighing everyday. Once a week is more than enough. 2nd Get your protein in first. Don't waste your limited capacity on grains and carbs until you get your protein in. Even at 11 months out I have a 30-40g protein smoothie everyday. I was getting 60g in by 5 days postop and probably get between 70-90 at this point. I eat a lot of meat, eggs, dairy, nuts, then veggies and fruit before grains. And I didn't start in on the fruit and grains until I was close to goal about 6 months out. And don't forget your vitamins!

I'm 11 months out, have lost over 100% of my excess weight and have been eating in "maintenance mode" for almost 5 months. So Far I guess I'm one of those rare successful "non-counters", and here's my alternative suggestion.....Two things have always helped my stalls. 1) stay off the scale. If you stick with the program it WILL work. You don't need to look at the numbers. You will see it and feel it. My longest stall was a month, but I still lost a whole pant size during that time. If it weren't for going to the doctor so many times that month, I would have never known I wasn't losing pounds. 2) eat more and drink more. If you deprive your body of calories, it will get used to functioning with very few calories. Your metabolism will "reset" at this caloric rate and once you try and eat normal in maintenance stage, you will gain weight with just a few calories ("this statement has not been verified by the FDA".....just my observations about what has always happened while yo yo dieting). My longest stall was when I was sick from a medication I was taking and could barely eat or drink anything. As soon as I stopped the meds I probably doubled my intake and lost 8 pounds in 1 week! Obviously, my body was willing to give up pounds when it is being fed, but not when it's being starved. I made it a point to eat as normal as possible from the beginning.....protein first, of course, and plenty of Water and Vitamins, but never got too carried away with excluding carbs and fat. I knew restrictions were not something I could live with long term and I wasn't going to let this surgery turn into yet another yo yo weightloss experiment. Other than keeping track of Protein and water in my head, I've never weighed or counted anything....just used good judgement (protein first, stay away from "white carbs"). I've never consulted with a nutritionist postop even once. But I did a few caloric "spot checks" along the way, because that's how so many people "do it" on here. I was at 1000 calories by a couple months out, at least 1200 calories at 6 months. And I'm maintaining a 100 pound loss with 1400-1600 calories/day. A very easy number to live with. And this is with no exercise program....just a physical job and active lifestyle. Everyone is different, though, so just find a plan that works for you and don't let the numbers rule your life (unless you like the numbers game, then track and count and measure all you like!)